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Annual Training
Program

The annual plan
is the tool that guides athletic training over a year. It is based on the
concept of periodization, which divides the annual plan into training phases,
and the principles of training. An annual training program is necessary to
maximize performance. In principle, this means that athletes must train
continually for 11 months, then reduce the amount of work during the last month.
This work should vary from regular training to facilitate physiological,
psychological, and CNS rest and regeneration before beginning another year of
training. The main objective of training is to reach a
high level of performance at a given time, usually the main competition of the
year, based on correct development of athletic shape. Good athletic shape occurs
when the degree of training is high and the psychological status enhances a high
level of performance. To achieve such a performance, the coach must properly
periodize and plan the entire program so the development of skills, biomotor
abilities, and psycho­ logical traits follow logically and sequentially.
Well-organized and planned training is difficult to achieve. In many instances,
the highest performance of the year does not occur at the major competition, a
result of inadequate knowledge and planning experience. In
training methodology, one of the most challenging and complex problems is
peaking athletic shape on the planned date. Often, athletes peak before the main
competition due to being pushed to reach a high level without adequately
alternating work with short regeneration phases. It is also common for athletes
to peak after the top competition, the result of deficient preparation or an
inadequate load or demand. A typical example of poor planning occurs in
gymnastics when routines are finalized just before an important
competition. The coach must do the planning, especially
for inexperienced athletes. Experienced athletes should help the coach set
objectives and plan for the following year. This way, they have a say in
designing their programs, and the coach can use their feedback in a positive
way. Athlete involvement in planning can be an important motivational tool for
them and the coach.

Periodization Periodization
is one the most important concepts in training and planning. This term
originates from period, which is a portion or division of time into smaller,
easy-to-manage segments, called phases of training. The
concept of periodization is not new, but not everybody is familiar with its
history. Periodization existed in an unrefined form for an unknown time. It is
difficult to trace who initiated it. It was used in a simple form by the Greek
Olympians. As mentioned, Philostratus was the vanguard of today's planning. Over
the centuries, many authors and practitioners added to the process, improving
the knowledge to the present status.Since 1963, I developed many aspects of
periodization, copyrighted under the names:

Periodization of
Strength

Periodization of
BodybuildingPeriodization of Psychological/Mental Training

Psychological
Supercompensation

Periodization of
EndurancePeriodization of NutritionIntegrated PeriodizationThe Chart
of the Annual Plan

Periodization
refers to two important aspects. Periodization of the annual plan divides it
into smaller training phases, making it easier to plan and man­ age a
training program and ensure peak performance for the main competition of the
year. Periodization of biomotor abilities refers to structuring training phases
to lead to the highest level of speed, strength, and
endurance.

Many are unaware
of the difference between periodization as a division of the annual plan and
periodization of the biomotor abilities. which results in confusion. In most
sports. the annual training cycle is conventionally divided into three main
phases: preparatory. competitive, and transition. The preparatory and
competitive phases are divided into two sub-phases because their tasks are
different. The preparatory phase has a general and a specific subphase, based on
the different characteristics of training, and the competitive phase usually is
preceded by a short precompetitive subphase. Furthermore. each phase is composed
of macro and microcycles. Each smaller cycle has specific objectives derived
from the general objectives of the annual plan. Figure 8.1 illustrates the
division of the annual plan into phases and cycles.

Athletic
performance depends on the athlete's adaptation, psychological adjustment to
training and competitions, and development of skills and abilities. The duration
of phases depends heavily on the time the athlete needs to increase training
level and athletic shape. The main criterion for calculating the duration of
each training phase is the competition schedule. Athletes train many months for
competitions, aiming to reach their highest level on those dates. This requires
organized, well-planned annual training that facilitates psychological and
physiological adaptation. You can enhance the organization of an annual plan by
periodizing training and using the sequential approach in developing athletic
shape. However, an optimal periodization for each sport and precise data
regarding the time required for an optimal increase in the degree of training
and athletic shape is not yet exact. Individual characteristics,
psychophysiological abilities, diet, and regeneration increase this difficulty.
You can facilitate your planning ability by developing a model plan that you can
continually improve, based on yearly observations.

Needs of
Periodization Adaptation created the
different training phases because athletes progressively develop and perfect
functions over a long period. Also consider physiological and psychological
potential and realize athletes cannot maintain athletic shape at a high level
throughout the year. Athletes should precede any increase in training work with
an unloading phase in which they decrease the training level. Develop athletes'
physiological foundation during the preparatory phase, and strive for perfection
according to the needs of competitions during the competitive
phase. The methodology of developing skills, strategic
maneuvers, and biomotor abilities also requires a special approach, unique for
each training phase. The athlete learns a skill sequentially throughout training
phases over time; this is also true for strategical maneuvers. The closer to
perfection a skill becomes. the more sophisticated strategical tools a coach can
use. Periodization also influences developing a sequential approach to
perfecting biomotor abilities. Enhancing athletic shape requires increasing the
volume and intensity of training in an undulatory manner. as proposed by the
principle of load progression. Climatic conditions and the
seasons also play decisive roles in the needs of periodizing training. The
duration of a training phase often depends on climate. Seasonal sports. such as
skiing, rowing, and soccer, are restricted by climate. In sports such as rowing
and soccer, winter is always the preparatory phase, and the competitive phase is
in the summer or spring and fall. The reverse is true for winter sports such as
skiing and hockey. Competition and intense training
specific to the competitive phase has a strong component of stress. A phase of
stressful activities, such as maximum concentration and CNS fatigue, should not
be long. even though most athletes and coaches may be able to cope. It is
important to alternate stressful phases with periods of recovery and
regeneration, during which the athletes experience less pressure. Such a phase,
usually the transition phase, creates a favorable mood and generates potential,
providing a solid foundation for the following period of heavy
work.

Classifying
Annual Plans Simple annual plans have been
used since ancient Olympic Games. Philostratus referred to a preparatory phase
for the ancient Olympic Games with few informal competitions before and a rest
period after. A similar approach was used for the modern Olympic Games (1896 in
Athens, Greece). and by U.S. college athletes at the beginning of the 20th
century. Planning has progressively become more sophisticated, culminating with
the German programs for the 1936 Olympic Games. when coaches used a 4year plan
and annual plans. After World War II, the Soviets started a state-funded sports
program with the scope of using athletics as the stage to demonstrate the
superiority of their political system.In 1965. Matveyev published a model of
an annual plan based on a questionnaire that asked athletes how they trained. He
analyzed the information statistically and produced an annual plan divided into
phases, sub-phases. and training cycles. Some enthusiasts called it the
classical model, forgetting what had been done before Matveyev from Philostratus
onward. The difference between the specialists of the early 1900s and post-World
War II is that the Russians, Germans, and Romanians have published books and
articles about planning. Figures 8.2 through 8.5
illustrate models produced by four authors.

Although annual
plans differ according to the specifics of the sport. classification depends on
the number of competitive phases in a plan. Seasonal sports such as skiing,
canoeing, and football, or sports with one major competition during the year,
use only one competitive phase. Such an annual plan is a monocycle; since there
is only one competitive phase, there is only one peak (figure 8.6). This plan is
divided into preparatory. competitive. and transition phases. The preparatory
phase includes general and specific preparation. In figure 8.6, note the
relationship between general and specific preparation: as one decreases the
other increases substantially. The competitive phase is
divided into smaller sub-phases. The precompetitive subphase, which usually
includes exhibition competitions only, precedes the subphase of main
competitions, in which all official competitions are scheduled (C). Before the
most important competition of the year, the coach plans two shorter phases. The
first is an unloading phase (U), or tapering off, of lower volume and intensity
so athletes can regenerate and supercompensate before the main competition. A
special preparation phase follows, during which the coach may make technical and
tactical changes. The coach can organize this phase separately or with the
unloading phase and may use it for relaxation and psychological preparation for
competitions. During the preparatory and early competitive
phases, emphasize training volume with low levels of intensity according to the
specifics of the sport. During this period. quantity of work should dominate. as
opposed to the competitive phase when you emphasize work intensity or quality
.. Another important point: as the competitive phase
approaches. the training volume curve decreases drastically while the intensity
curve increases (figure 8.6). Such a monocycle model is typical for sports
dominated by speed and power. The volume curve decreases to allow the coach to
concentrate on speed and power. The model illustrated in
figure 8.6 is not appropriate for everyone. Training specialists from endurance
sports would be mistaken to follow figure 8.6. For sports in which ergogenesis
is close to 50-50% or dominant aerobic. the curve of the training volume must be
high throughout the competitive phase as well. Otherwise. the development of
specific endurance will be insufficient and negatively affect the final
performance. For aerobic-dominant sports. I have pro­ vided another model
(figure 8.7). Please note in figure 8.7. the division of the annual plan in the
training phases is based on the type of endurance training the athlete will
perform. Also. the volume of training. so important for aerobic sports. is
dominant throughout the year.

A completely
different approach is taken in sports that have two separate competitive seasons
such as track and field. in which indoor and outdoor sea­ sons are common.
Because there are two distinct competitive phases. such a plan is called a
bicycle (bi in Latin means two).
Figure 8.8 illustrates a bicycle that incorporates the following training
phases: • Preparatory phase I. which should be the longer
preparatory phase. • Competitive phase
I. • Short transition (12 weeks) linked with a preparatory
phase II. The unloading transition phase is for recovery.
• Competitive phase II. • Transition
phase.

A bi-cycle
consists of two short monocycles linked through a short
unload­ing/transition (U/T) and preparatory phase. For each cycle, the
approach may be similar except for training volume, which in preparatory phase I
is of much higher magnitude than in preparatory phase II. Also, the level of
athletic shape may be lower in competitive phaseI. (In our example of track and field, the outdoor
championships are usually more important.) This is illustrated by the curve of
the athletic shape, which reaches the highest values during competitive phase
II. Again, for endurance sports, the volume curve must
always be higher than intensity, even during the competitive phase. This
approach will ensure proper emphasis on the dominant energy system, which in the
end (competitive phase II) will translate into better
performance. It is not unusual for sports like boxing,
wrestling, and gymnastics to have three big competitions during the annual plan
(for instance, national championships, a qualifying meet, and the competition
itself). Assuming each competition is 3 or 4 months apart, an athlete would have
three competitive phases, and the plan would be a tricycle (Latin tri, meaning
three). As illustrated by figure 8.9, a tricycle
incorporates the following sequence of training phases: •
A long preparatory phase I • Competitive phase
I • A short unloading, transition, or preparatory phase
II • Competitive phase II •
Unloading, transition, or preparatory phase III •
Competitive phase III • Transition

When planning
a tricycle, the most important competition of the three should occur during the
last cycle. The first of the three preparatory phases should be the longest,
during which the athlete builds the technical, tactical, and physical
foundations that will foster the following two cycles. Be­ cause such a plan
is conventionally used with advanced athletes, the general preparation subphase
is only in the early part of the first cycle. Also the curve of volume is the
highest, reflecting the relative importance of training volume in the
preparatory phase I, as opposed to the following two preparation
phases. The curve of intensity for each cycle follows a
pattern similar to a monocycle. Both the volume and intensity curves drop
slightly for each of the three un­ loading phases preceding the main
competitions. For the curve of athletic shape, the coach would plan the highest
peak for the third cycle, which corresponds with the main competition of the
year. Finally, sports such as tennis, martial arts, and
boxing have four or more competitions when peak performance is desirable (figure
8.10). In such cases, the structure of the annual plan differs in that the
preparatory phase, so important for developing skills and biomotor abilities, is
short. Although international athletes with a good foundation of training during
the early years of athletic development may find it easy to cope with such a
heavy schedule, children and teenagers do not. This is why many young tennis
players burn out before they have a chance to experience the satisfaction of
winning major tournaments. A multicycle of four or more
competitive phases is a challenging task. This is especially true if the athlete
skips a quiet preparatory phase in which to regenerate and focus on improving
biomotor skills in an un-stressful environment. We see this situation in tennis,
in which many players are injured or withdraw from tournaments because of
physical and mental exhaustion.

Selective
Periodization Programs for young athletes
often follow those specifically produced for mature and advanced athletes. I
would like to propose that everyone concerned look at periodization from the
point of view of athletes' readiness for heavy schedule competitions.
Irrespective of whether you are in a sport of multi peaks, consider the
following sequence of types of annual plans. A monocycle
is for novice and junior athletes. The advantage of such a plan is that it has
long preparatory phases, free from the stress of competitions. This allows the
coach to concentrate on developing skills and a strong foundation of physical
training. A bicycle is for experienced athletes who can
quality for national championships. Even then, the preparatory phase should be
as long as possible, to allow time to train fundamentals.
A tricycle and multi-peak plan are recommended only for advanced or
international athletes. Presumably, these athletes have a solid foundation and
their background allows them to handle an annual plan with three or more peaks
with greater ease. Although the duration of training
phases depends on the competition schedule, table 8.1 could be a good guideline
for distributing weeks per training phase.

Stress----Planning
and PeriodizationStress is a
significant by-product of training and competition, which if not properly
manipulated may affect athletes' performance and behavior. Because training
deals primarily with biological and psychological components, stress is
considered the sum of these phenomena, elicited by internal and adverse external
influences. Throughout training and competition, athletes
experience biological, psychological, and sociological stressors. Stress is
additive and is produced by competition, the audience, peers, family, coach's
pressure to perform well, and training intensity. A wise coach deals with these
athletic by-products by training athletes to cope and by planning the stress
properly throughout the annual plan. Again, the concept of periodization is an
important tool in properly planning stress. As shown in figure 8.11, the curve
of stress does not have the same magnitude throughout the annual plan, a
distinct advantage of periodization.

Please note
in figure 8.11 that the curve of stress parallels the curve of intensity-the
higher the intensity, the higher the stress. The shape of the curve is low
during the transition phase, progressively elevates through the preparatory
phase, and fluctuates during the competitive phase because of alternating
stressful activities (competitions) with short regeneration periods. During the
preparatory phase, the magnitude of the stress curve is the outcome of the
relationship between training volume and intensity. While the volume or quantity
of training is high, the intensity is lower, because it is difficult to
emphasize a high amount of work and an elevated intensity simultaneously (with
the probable exception of weightlifting). Training intensity is a prime
stressor. Because the coach emphasizes it less than training volume through most
of the preparatory phase, the curve of stress is also low. One exception to this
may be testing dates, which could stress some athletes, especially those who
find it difficult to meet the standards. Similarly, because coaches in team
sports select the team during the preparatory phase, the days before selection
are often stressful as well. The stress curve throughout
the competitive phase has an undulatory structure because of alternating
competitive with developmental and re­ generation microcyc1es. It appears
evident, therefore, that the number of competitions and their frequency cause an
elevated stress curve. When top competitions are more frequent, athletes
experience more stress. In these cases, the coach must plan a few days of
regeneration following competitions, and only when athletes are almost recovered
do they participate in intensive training lessons again. Similarly, the coach
would be wise to plan a short unloading period (23 days) before important
competitions. Apart from alternating high and low
stressful activities, the coach may also use relaxation techniques to help
athletes cope. Some athletes cope well, and others have more difficulty. Those
who have difficulty dealing with stress may need more than motivational and
relaxation techniques. When selecting athletes, the coach should consider
psychological tests that sort the candidates according to the needs of
high-performance athletics. The ability of athletes to
cope with stress depends, to a high degree, on the coach. The coach has to plan
the program to allow phases of regeneration and relaxation and introduce
athletes to mental training and its specific techniques. I
strongly believe that athletes' psychological behavior depends on their
physiological wellbeing. In other words, athletes' mental state is a by­
product of their physiological condition. This is why I believe that, "Perfect
fitness results in the best psychology!" A well-planned periodized program will
ensure superior psychological readiness, stress management, and mental
training. While creating a periodized training program,
the coach should produce a psychological periodization (please also refer to
Integrated Periodization later in this chapter). Canadian psychologists were
among the first to realize the necessity of psychological periodization.
Following are the mental training phases as suggested by Bacon
(1989).